Spain Women produced a complete performance to beat England 1-0 in Sydney and lift the Women’s World Cup for the first time.
Olga Carmona’s strike proved to be the decisive moment in a final where England struggled to find their best form against an impressive Spain side.
Mary Earps produced a fine save to deny Jenni Hermoso from the penalty spot in the second period, but the Lionesses were unable to build upon that moment, ensuring they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Taking charge of her fourth successive major tournament final, Sarina Wiegman opted to name an unchanged lineup, resisting the temptation to bring in Lauren James following her return from a two-match suspension.
The England boss would have been encouraged by the way that her side started the first half, as Lauren Hemp had the honour of registering the first shot on target with an effort that was comfortably gathered by Cata Coll.
Hemp continued to represent England’s main threat in the opening exchanges, and she went agonisingly close to opening the scoring in the 16th minute, rattling the woodwork with a curling effort from inside the box.
After surviving a close call, Spain fired a warning shot of their own, with Alba Redondo drawing a smart stop out of Earps.
From that moment, La Roja began to assert their dominance in the first period, moving the ball with confidence and forcing England back into their own half.
The Lionesses could only keep their opponents at bay until the half-hour mark when Lucy Bronze was punished for losing possession near the halfway line.
Teresa Abelleira quickly switched the play to Mariona Caldentey on the left flank, and the Barcelona forward produced a well-weighted pass to the overlapping Carmona, who drilled the ball into the bottom corner.
Not content with taking the lead, the tournament’s highest scorers continued to press forward, and they were just inches away from doubling their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Salma Paralluelo, who scored in the last two rounds, guided the ball against the outside of the post.
In a bid to swing momentum in England’s favour, Wiegman went to her bench at half time, replacing Rachel Daly and Alessia Russo with Chloe Kelly and James.
The changes did not have the desired effort, though, as Spain picked up where they left off in the first period, putting England’s backline under pressure with their incisive attacks.
Caldentey drifted inside from the left flank to force Earps into a diving stop, before Aitana Bonmati fired over the crossbar from the edge of the box.
Spain were then presented with a golden chance to double their advantage when the referee pointed to the penalty spot, penalising Keira Walsh for handling the ball following a lengthy VAR review.
The experienced Jenni Hermoso shouldered responsibility, but she was unable to beat Earps, who made a superb save down low to her left to keep England within reach of their opponents.
Having been given a lifeline, England went in search of a late leveller, as James went close with a fierce strike which was tipped over the crossbar.
Although there were 13 minutes added on, the Lionesses were unable to find a way through the Spanish defence, ensuring La Roja could celebrate their first-ever trophy at a major tournament.
While England will be left disappointed, they will reflect on a positive tournament where they achieved their best performance at a Women’s World Cup.
